Distance from Delhi to Karachi
🇮🇳 Delhi, India → 🇵🇰 Karachi, Pakistan
The dashed line joins the two city centres; the true shortest path on the globe is a great-circle arc, and real flight paths also bend around restricted airspace and follow airways.
Close on the map, far in practice
Delhi and Karachi are separated only by the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and Sindh, and the time difference is just 30 minutes. A direct flight would be short. In practice there are no regular nonstop flights between the two cities. Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian aircraft in April 2025 and India did the same for Pakistani aircraft, and both governments have kept extending the bans month by month. Travellers usually connect through a Gulf hub such as Dubai, which turns a short hop into a journey of most of a day.
Land links
Overland options have narrowed too. The Thar Express, which ran across the desert border between Munabao in Rajasthan and Khokhrapar in Sindh towards Karachi, has been suspended since 2019. The best-known crossing, Attari–Wagah near Amritsar and Lahore, is far to the north and was closed to most travellers in 2025. Check current rules with both governments before planning any trip.
A shared history
Before 1947 both cities were part of British India. At Partition, large numbers of Urdu-speaking Muslims from Delhi and northern India settled in Karachi, which became Pakistan’s first capital. Many Hindus and Sikhs moved the other way. That migration still shapes Karachi’s language, food and neighbourhoods. More on the two countries: India vs Pakistan.
Delhi
Karachi
Frequently asked questions
- How far is Karachi from Delhi?
- 1,096 km (681 miles) in a straight line (great-circle distance). The distance is the same in both directions.
- How long is the flight from Delhi to Karachi?
- There are no regular nonstop flights on this route, so most journeys connect through a third city and take considerably longer. A direct flight would take about 1h 52m (800 km/h average plus 30 minutes for taxi, climb and descent).
- What direction is Karachi from Delhi?
- Karachi lies roughly west of Delhi; the initial great-circle bearing is 250°.
- What is the time difference between Delhi and Karachi?
- Karachi (UTC+5) is 30 min behind Delhi (UTC+5:30). Neither city uses daylight saving time.
- Which airports serve this route?
- Delhi: Indira Gandhi International (DEL). Karachi: Jinnah International (KHI).
- Are there direct flights between Delhi and Karachi?
- No. There are no regular nonstop flights, and both countries have closed their airspace to each other’s aircraft since April 2025. Most travellers connect through a Gulf hub.
Other routes from Delhi and Karachi
See the country profiles for India and Pakistan, or measure any other pair with the Asia distance calculator.